gringa musings from a rooftop terrace in Oaxaca

That’s entertainment!

While waiting for yesterday’s convite to begin, the Danza de la Pluma subalternos, Florentino Martínez Ruiz and Juan Bautista Ruiz, knew how to keep young, old, all those in between, and the photographers entertained.

A little “splendor in the grass” for Juan?

And, the fun didn’t stop there, once the convite began, Florentino snatched a marmota from one of the little boys to give it a try.

Yes, it’s the feather dance — a retelling of the story of the Conquest. I suspect the masks relate to the association (in Christianity) of boar with lust and the devil. According to one source I’ve read, originally the role of Subalternos was to cheer up Moctezuma by donning the masks and dressing in the style of the Spanish.